Pulverized-soap container and dispenser.



F. J. DUNWOODY. PULVBRIZED SOAP CONTAINER AND DISPENSER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 11. 1910.

Patented Sept 20,1910.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

F 0S'1EB :r. nunwoonxn'ornznvnn, coaonano.

PULVEBIZED-SOA? CONTAINEB AND DISPENSER To all whom it may-concern:

Be it known that I, Eos'rna J. Drmwoonr, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing in the city and county of Denver and State ofColorado, have invented a new and useful Pulverized-Soap Container andDispenser, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in pulverized soap containers anddis ensers, and the objects of my invention are: irstto provide apowdered soap holding rece tace adapted for lavatorles of hospita s,private residences, Pullman and other railway cars, ofiice buildings andhotels, that is provided with a manually operated powdered soapdischarging valve mechanism that is adapted to agitate and prevent theclo ging of the powdered soap, and provides at t e same time a positiveforce feed. Seeond-to provide a powdered soap holding and distributingreceptacle that is so designed that splashed water or atmosphericmoisture cannot come in contact with its contents, and that can besecured to a suitable su port against'unintentional or accidentallsplacement; and third-to provide a sim is, neat, inexpensive powderholdin and istributing rece tacle for powdere soap, talcum, toilet another powders.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a central, sectional view of my improved soapreceptacle. Fig. 2 is a transverse, sectional view on line 2-2 ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse, sectional view on the line 3-3 of,Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a side view illustrating a modification of the valveoperating lever; and Fig. 5 is a view of a key used in connection withthe improved device.

Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a cylinder or othertubular sha ed cup, can, bottle or receptacle. I pre erably use a roundor tubular form of receptacle which may be made of any suitablematerial, but is preferably made of brass, nickel or aluminum tubing.This tube is preferably open at its bottom portion and is rovided with ahinged cap ortion 2 which fits snugly to the top of t e receptacle. Thisca is preferably locked to the receptacle, an any suitable form of lockmugs-" of 1mm Patent Patented Sept. 20, 1910. Application mwimu 11,1010. Serial 537,403.

may be used. I illustrate, however, a common form of padlock 3.

At a short distance from the bottomv of the soap receptacle I place apartition or floor portion 4, which is secured to it by any suitablemeans. This partition is pre' erably of a concave or dished form, as Ifind 1n practice that the concaved surface which forms the inside bottomof this soap receptacle is especially adapted to permit the powderedsoap to flow easily from the outer edges of this dish shaped partitionto the discharge outlet. This discharge outlet 5 is positioned atthecenter of this (11811 shaped partition which is at the lowest point ofthe cylinder. This outlet comprises a discharge port, the wall of whichis tapered to re ister against the taper side of a taper plug s apedvalve 7. This ta er valve 7 is provided with an axial threa ed aperturewhich screws onto the threaded end of a valve stem 8. This valve stemextends below the lower end of the valve and a check nut 9 is threadedto the end of the valve stem against the valve. The valve can thus beadjustabl set on the valve stem. The lower end 0 the valve stem ispivotally secured below said valve and nut to one end of a lever 10 by apin 11. The pin 11 extends through an aperture formed through the end ofthe valve stem and extends into and through an oblong slot 14 formedthrough the end of the lever. The op osite end of this lever ispivotally secured y a pin 15 to a lag 16, which is riveted or otherwisesecured to the inside of the shell of the c 1inder.- Intermediate of theends of this ever-10 I form a slot 17, to which is secured by a suitablepin or bolt 18 an arm 19, which depends rom a lever 20 which I term thevalve operating lever. This lever is pivotally secured at one end to theo osite side of the inside wall of the shell 0 t e cylinder from thelever 10, and it is formed centrally with a semi-circular bend, asshown, which extends around the valve 7 and permits free downwardmovement of the same. The free end of the lever 20 extends through aslot 21 in the receptacle, andits outer end terminates in a fingerpressing plate or button portion 22, adapted to receive the pressure ofa finger of the hand of an operator. The arm portion 19 of this lever ispositioned between its finger portion and its semi-cirfinger portion ispushed down, which movement causes the end of the lever 10 which ispivotally' secured to the lower end of the valve stem to draw the valvestem and valve down and open the soap outlet aperture 5, and thus allowthe powdered soap to discharge from the rece tacle.

The valve is held '0 osed and the levers 10 and 20 are held up intotheir normal op erative position by a conical coiled expansion sprlng24;, the base of whlch rests 1n the concave partition or dish, whichforms an abutment for its lower end. The upper or apex end of thisconical spring abuts against a pin 25, which extends through the up erend of the valve stem. This valve an its stem and the conical springoccupy a vertical position in the receptacle and the,

the receptacle, thus agitating the whole body I of soap. When the springis compressed once or twice or three times in succession the variouscoils move down through a different part of the area of the receptacleand consequently come in contact with the body of powdered soap acrossits width and press it down toward the discharge outlet, which is openwhen the spring is pulled down by the valve stem, which assists infeeding the powdered soap through the valve and prevents it packing orclogging throughout the area of the receptacle occupied by the spring,and when the finger plate is released the expansive force of the springdraws the stem and valve up and it moves up through the soap powder,.agitating, stirring and loosening 1t up, and thus keeping it in propercondition to discharge easily from the outlet opening. The conicalspring alone is sufficient to prevent the clogging and packing of soapand other powders, but in order to insure the positive feeding of thepowder placed in the receptacle I provide the valve stem with a specialform of powder agitator which exerts a positively downward feedingmovement on the soap or other powder, and while several forms ofagitator could be attached to the valve stem or spring to accomplishthis result, I preferably carry out my invention in the followingmanner: Upon the valve stem, a suitable distance above the upper end ofthe valve, is mounted in any su table manner that will permit it torotate thereon without vertical movement an agitator 26, which comprisesa central body portion 27,

' from which extends a group of circu'mfer entially arranged curved arms28, which Iproject downward and outward from the ody portion. This.agitator moves up and down with the valve stem in the powder and thearms are preferably given a spiral curve The soap receptacle is provi edwith a;

projecting stem 29, which is secured tothe opposite side of the.receptacle from the valve operating finger plate. This stem has areduced portion, WlllCll passes through a hole in the receptacle and isriveted or otherwise secured to a plate 30, which is secured to theinterior of the receptacle. An aperture adapted to receive the stem of ascrew 31 is formed transversely through the central portion of the stem.This stem is adapted to extend into the bore of a bracket 32, that isadapted to be secured to the wall of a room or splash plate of awash-basin. The screw 31 is inserted through the sides of the bracketand extends loosely through the aperture in the stem, and is threaded inthe opposite side of the bracket. The aperture in one side of thebracket is counter-bored to receive the head of the screw 31, which isprovided with short screw driver receiving slots, which project intodiametrically opposite side edges of the head of the screw a shortdistance, thus leaving an unslotted portion on top of the head of thescrew; These short slot portions in the head of the screw necessitatethe use of a, special form of key 32', which is illustrated in Fig. 5,and enables the receptacle to be secured in operative position in amanner to prevent its being easily and quickly removed and stolen.

In Fig. 4 I illustrate a slightly different form of valve operatinglever 33. The lever is designed to receive removable push plates 34,havin shanks 35, which are secured to the lever y a pin, thus providingfor push plates of any desired design and provided with any desiredword,.name or symbol.

The valve opening finger ressing plates may be made in an design 0 formor shape or configuration esired, and any suitable words, such as pressor push down, or soap may be stamped or otherwise applied to it. Wordsor symbols may also be stamped or otherwise applied to the top of thecover, if desired.

My invention presents a thoroughly sanitary, valve controlled dispensingreceptacle for powdered soap, talcum, toilet and other powders.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. In a device as s ecified, a rece tacle provided with a dished ottomnear its ower end, having a discharge aperture; a conical valve in saida erture; a stem extending through said va Va and into the receptacle;an abutment on jstem; a conical coil spring inte osed between saidabutment and the dished ottom; a lever connected with the lower end ofsaid valve stem and extending through the receptacle and an agitatorrotatably mounted on the valve stem, within the conical spring.

' 2. In a device as specified, the combination of a cylindrical casing,provided with a cap and with a concave bottom adjacent to its lower endhavin a discharge outlet therein; a valve in sai outlet; an adjustablestem extending through said valve; an arm pivotally attached at one endto the lower ends of the stem and at its opposite end to the casing; anoperating lever pivotally attached to said arm and to the casing, thefree end of which projects out through a slot in the casing; a springfor normally seating the valve; and a rotatable" agitator on the valvestem.

3. In a device as specified, a rece tacle; a concave bottom in sa1dreceptacle, a jacent to its lower end, having a central opening; a plugvalve in said opem'n a stem extending beyond each end of sai valve,having a pin extending through its upper end; a spring under tensionbetween said bottom and said pin; an arm pivotally attached to the lowerend of said stem and to the receptacle; and a lever ivotally attached atone end to the receptac e, and extended through a slot in the oppositeside of the same, and having a depending member which is pivotallyconnected to said arm.

4. In a device as specified, a receptacle provided intermediate of itsends with a concave bottom having an outlet a erture; a plug valve insaid aperture; a t readed stem 1n said valve and a check nut on saidstem; an arm pivotally attached at one end to the lower end of the stemand at its opposite end to the casing; a lever pivoted at one end to thecasing and having a dependin member which 1s pivotally attached to sa1darm, and a semi-circular bend concentric with and adapted to extendaround said plug valve, the opposite end of said lever pro ectin througa slot in the receptacle; a spring or normally seating the valve; and anagitator on the valve stem.

In testimon whereof I aflix my signature in presence 0 two witnesses.

' FOSTER J. DUNWOODY. Witnesses:

i G. Sanomrr Emo'rr,

Anmmx M. Fowm.

